Combination oil gauge and heater



Feb. 17, 1953 R. FEIN ET AL 2,629,041

COMBINATION OIL GAUGE AND HEATER I Filed May 13, 1952 RAYMOND FEIN,

ATTORNEY INVENTORS JEROME W/ENEH.

in operative engagement member.

Patented Feb. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RaymondFein and Jerome -Wiener, .Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 13, 1952, Serial No.'287,'479

5 Claims.

This invention relates to oil heating and measuring devices, more particularly to a combination oil gauge and heater for the crankcase of an automobile.

A common deterrent to the starting of automobile engines in cold weather is the thickened and partially congealed oil in the crankcase of the vehicle, resulting from parking for extended periods under low temperature conditions. .It has been primarily within our contemplation to provide a device, adapted for ready and convenient use with a motor crankcase, which will enable the oil therein to be heated to a suitable running motor temperature.

In the accomplishment of this objective it has been our further object to obviate the necessity of providing a special receptacle and aperture in the crankcase for accommodating the heating element; and in this aspect of our invention we have, in novel manner, combined into a single unitary structure, an oil measuring gauge and electricheating element, so that the portion of the crankcase normally adapted to receive the conventional oil stick would receive our novel combinationimplement.

It is a further object of our invention to provide the said combination device with electrical connecting means that can safely be held against movement when not in use, and which can conveniently be connected to a source of current supply whenever necessary.

it is within our contemplation .to provide a simple and readily constructed device, capable of performing the objectives above mentioned.

Other objects and features will appear from the drawings and the description hereinafter given. 7

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 .is a fragmentary section taken through an automobile crankcase, our invention being shown in elevation, except fora small fragmentary section. V

Figure '2 is a disassembled fragmentaryvertical "section of the two components of our device.

Figure? "is a section dfFig. 1 taken along line '3-3.

'Figur'e '4'is "a fragment of thecentral portion of the device in assembled condition, a portion being shown in elevation and another portion in a longitudinal section.

Figure 5 is a section of Fig. 2 taken along line 5-5,.and

Figure '6 is a fragmentary front view of the upper portion of the device, showing the ,plug with the hand-grip 'In'the form of our invention illustrated there are two separable components, the upper or .handle component l0 and the lower or combination heating and gauge component ll. Both of these components have coacting elongated casing members, preferably although not necessarily cylindrical substantially throughout their length and of substantially similar cross-sectional proportions and configuration, so that whenoperatively joined as shown in Fig. 1, they form a continuous member adapted to be inserted into an automobile crankcase l2 substantially in the manner of conventional crankcase stick-,gauges, as will more clearly hereinafter appear.

Attached to the region I3 of the casing 9 of the upper component I9 is the handle element l4, comprising the looped substantially elliptical hand-grip IS, the intermediate bars l6 welded or otherwise secured to said region l3, the flanges 11 adapted to rest upon the top wall I8 of .the crankcase l2, and the outwardly bowed spring legs 19 flanking the casing l0 and adapted for frictional yieldable engagement with the wall of aperture 20.

The preferred form of hand-grip M has an upper wall 2| containing a raised central portion 22 with an aperture 23 therein, a rubber bushing or grommet 24 being inserted through said aperture 23 and an underlying apertured portion 25 at the upper portion 26 of the casing .9, thereby providing a yieldable support for the cable 21 to be hereinafter described. Flanking .the upper portion of the casing 9 are .the .two looped portions 28 and 29 of the hand-grip T4 to permit ones fingers to be inserted therethrough, the said wall 2| forming the tops of said looped portions 28 and 29. Disposed within said upper wall 2| are the holes 39 and 3| flanking said raised portion 22 and adapted to receive therein the prong 32 and 33 of the electrical plug 34, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The said "holes 32 and 33 are disposed close to the upper portion of the casing 9, so as to leave spaces 35 and 36 each suflicient to accommodate a 'finger even with the prongs in place. Member I'4 therefore serves both as a receptacle for the .said plug '34 and as a hand-grip for operatively removing and inserting the device.

Disposed within the'bottom of the casing 9 is the insulating plug 31 supporting therein the sockets 38 and 39 to which are electrically connected the terminals 49 of the insulated wire cable 21, the latter extending longitudinally throughcasing 9 and out through the bushing 24 .into the saidsocket34. The casing 91s so proportioned as to enable an Underwritersknot i I 3 4! to be tied in the cable, thereby to prevent a forced detachment of the terminals 40 from the sockets 38 and 39 upon an upward pull of the cable 21.

The said lower component H comprises the casing 42 the upper portion of which contains the insulating plug 43 within which are embedded the two prongs 44 and 45 proportioned and positioned for slidable entry into the sockets 38 and 39, respectively, when component l and II are in coactive relation. Electrically connected to the prongs 44 and 45 is the heating element 46 which extends substantially throughout the length of casing 42.

The upper portion of casing 42 has a cylindrical neck 41 of reduced proportions with which the inwardly bent lower edge 48 of the internally threaded ring or nut 49 is in engagement. Said ring is so proportioned that the threaded portion 50 is adapted for simultaneous threaded engagement with the outer threaded portions and 52 of the lower and upper components I I and NJ, respectively. Hence, when the two said components are in operative engagement as shown in Fig. 4, the ring 49 is in its raised operative position enveloping and holding the adjacent edges of the casings 9 and 42 in abutment.

The outer surface 53 of casing 42 has markings thereon to indicate the level of oil in the crankcase, such as the respective full and low markings 54 and 55 illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the operation of this device as an oil gauge,

it is used substantially in the manner of a conventional stick gauge. When inserted within the crankcase l2, the lower component It is immersed within the oil, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that when the device is removed, the amount of oil can readily be determined. In normal use, the device is in its inserted condition as illustrated, the plug 34 being operatively positioned in engagement with the hand-grip Hi, the prongs 32 and 33 extending into apertures 30 and 35. In this manner, the plug is maintained against movement during the operation of the vehicle. It will be noticed that even with the plug in operative engagement with the hand-grip as illustrated in Fig. 6, there is ample provision for the fingers to be inserted in spaces 35 and 36 for a withdrawal of the unit, since the prongs 32 and 33 are spaced close to the central grommet 24. When it is desired to heat the oil in the crankcase, the plug 34 is removed from its engagement withthe hand-grip, and inserted in any convenient receptacle, such as that attached to the end of an extension cord electrically connected to a source of current supply. Because of the fact that ,the plug 34 is not rigidly connected to the hand-grip member I4, there is suflicient flexibility of the plug component to enable it to be conveniently connected to a receptacle, as aforesaid. In other words, if the device is situated in a portion of the crankcase where it would be difiicult directly to connect the receptacle of an extension cord, the plug 34 can readily be moved to facilitate such connection.

It will further be noted that the construction of the entire device is such as to be capable of ready manufacture and assembly; and since the device is separable into two components, ready access can be gained into the interior thereof for repair or replacement purposes.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by Way of example and in pr ferred manner; but obviously many variations jand modifications may be made therein. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or manner of practicing same, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a combination oil gauge and heater for simultaneously measuring and heating crankcase oil, an elongated casing member comprising an upper component and detachably secured thereto a lower component, a handle attached to the upper component, an electrical heating element disposed in the lower component, contact terminal elements on the upper component adjacent the said handle, an upper pair of electric connector elements at the bottom of said upper component, a lower pair of connector elements at the top of said lower component and in electrical contact with said upper pair of connector elements when said two casing components'are in operatively engaged relation, said upper pair of connectors being electrically connected to said terminal elements, said lower connector elements being electrically connected to said heating element, and releasable locking means enveloping the engaged portions of the said upper and lower components and holdin them together when in operatively engaged relation.

2. In a combination oil gauge and heater for simultaneously measuring and heating crankcase oil, an elongated casing member, an electrical heating element disposed therein, gauge markings on the outer surface of said casingmember, an electric conductor having an interior portion disposed within the casing and electrically connected to said heating element and an exterior portion extending out of the casing, contact terminals on said exterior portion of the conductor, and a handle attached to the casing and having seat elements thereon for receiving said contact terminals of the conductor.

3. In a combination oil gauge and heater for simultaneously measuring and heating crankcase oil, an elongated casing member, an electrical heating element disposed therein, gauge markings on the outer surface of said casing member, an electric conductor having an interior portion disposed Within the casing and electrically connected to said heating element and an exterior portion extendin out of the casing, a plug con nector with prong elements connected to the terminals of said exterior portion of the conductor, and a handle attached to the casing and having apertures therein for receiving the said prong elements,

4. In a combination oil gauge and heater for simultaneously measuring and heating crankcase oil, an elongated casing member, an electrical heating element disposed therein, gauge markings on the outer surface of said casing member, an electric conductor having an interior portion disposed within the casing and electrically connected to said heating element and an exterior portion extending out of the casing, a plug connector with prong elements connected to the-terminals of said exterior portion of the conductor and a handle attached to the casing and compris mg a substantially elliptical hand-grip having an upper wall and two oppositely disposed fingerreceiving looped portions, said upper wall having two apertures therein adjacent saidlooped portions.

5. In a combination oil gauge and heater fa snnultaneously measuring and heating crank 011, the combination according to claim 4, said upper wall having a central opening therein 5 6 through which said exterior portion of the conductor passes, said two apertures being in flank- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing and proximate relation to said central open- Number Name Date v 2,354,061 Richardson July 18, 1944 Q 5 2,551,770 Smith May 3, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date The following references are of record in the 639,310 Great Britain Ju e 23, 950 file of this patent: 10 

